To Flicker Dim and Die
by FuckMePumps
Summary: [AU, WuyaXRai, oneshot] Set during when Raimundo tells Wuya that 'he needs friends.' What if instead of giving him rock people to play with, the beautiful, manipulative sorceress gives her charming, naive apprentice a different answer to his question? R


**a/n:** Man, this category has a way of making what should be 100-word drabbles into a full-fledged one-shot. Supposed to be this really simple and concise yet thought-provoking prose. But as they say, the writing has a life of its own; it just controls you for its own twisted purposes. Notice how the style changes about halfway through it.

Inspired by Reyana Draconis' story Poison Lily (her description is literally to die for), and my hidden soft spots for the forbidden pairings in any fandom. I'm pretty much Rai/Kim, but I have this strange fetish for Rai/Katnappe and after the events of 'In The Flesh,' was smitten by Rai/Wuya. Also developed for the seemingly incomplete Humanized-Wuya/Traitorous-Raimundo saga that I felt was ended too soon by the show's makers (come on, you deny that so many interesting paths could have been laid out by that fabulous beginning, but was cut short in 3 or 4 episodes). And then they go on with that Chase Young/Omi-Chosen-One arc that's just a complete rip-off of the first season. Grr. The whole thing just angers me. I guess you can connect this to my other fic, Threads of Reason, because it's pretty much of the same AU, but that's highly unlikely. Now, enough of my rambling and on with the story. Ciao.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own XS or 'Fireflies' by Roper.

-

_Far too easily distracted by this wretched curse_

_I'm enticed and so attracted; bait and trap me, perhaps worse_

_Jade brilliance, emerald lies_

_Each glimmer must fade and die_

_This gift of sight, this glorious blight… _

Wuya sauntered into her novice's room confidently, expecting to see the boy brightening with enjoyment upon having possession of every video game ever made, but what welcomed her was the exact opposite.

His eyes were fixed intently on the screen, and his fingers flew swiftly over the controls without even having to glance at them ('He had always been a sharp one,' she thought absently), but when the screen announced that he had topped the high score again, his eyes failed to twinkle with the pleasure she anticipated. Instead, they were lackluster and impassive.

"What is the matter, my dear Raimundo?" She spoke in her velvet voice, slurring his name as if high on wine, startling him. When he turned to her, his face laced with an oh-so adorable pout.

"Hi, Wuya," he greeted, blasé.

"I asked you a question, have I not?" She inquired, eyebrows rising teasingly.

"Oh, nothing's wrong. It's just…"

"Ah, I understand," she interrupted. She snapped her dainty fingers and in a burst of light, a sports car materialized beneath her. She stretched her slender frame across it, flaunting her perfect figure with a bat of her long eyelashes. She should be hearing the 'pop' of Raimundo's jaw as it hit the ground any second now…

But she heard nothing. Opening her eyes, she gazed at the (now) Heylin Wind Dragon, looking like he was just waiting for the boredom to strike him to death.

The sorceress frowned, the edges of her ruby mouth curling downwards. Something was very wrong, but what? She pulled off the act perfectly, doing it just like those retarded models on the television.

"Don't you want this cherry-red, ultra fast convertible, Raimundo? It's, as how you humans say it, _top of the range_."

Her tone became silkier, but no admiration sparked in the boy's eyes.

"It's cool, but I was gonna say that…"

"Going to say what, sweet Raimundo?" She inspected her nails for a nonexistent chip in the otherwise flawless manicure.

"I, um…" He rubbed at the nape of his neck, eyes darting everywhere but to her own. If he shuffled his feet, he would have appeared like a normal teenage guy who's about to ask a girl he likes on a date. That is, if Wuya had fit the category, which she didn't.

"I want friends, Wuya. It's no fun beating myself all the time. I need someone else to win over, you know?" He replied, almost timidly, pointing at the large monitor where his name was displayed time after time.

"Friends?" This wasn't promising. The boy must be missing his pathetic Xiaolin companions. But he didn't belong among them. She saw his potential for the dark side and rescued him from a mediocre life of good. Her plan will not be ruined after such a perfect execution, and she intended to keep this charismatic lad as her apprentice, the little plaything. Of course, it worked to his advantage that he wasn't as annoying as that aggravation, Jack Spicer. Why couldn't he have been the one who'd released her from that stupid puzzle box? She would have been spared the trouble and humiliation of countless defeats by her sworn enemies.

"I think that's one request I cannot fulfill, Raimundo," she tried to make her voice as cheerless as possible, watching his face fall, more forlorn than ever before.

A smirk tugged at her delicate lips, and an affectionate gleam flickered in her poison emerald eyes.

"However, I may have something that may substitute for your unnecessary need for such petty things like your friends…" The word 'friends' she spat out like venom, useless and hazardous. "But I shall leave you to be the judge."

She hopped off the hood of the vehicle and strode towards him. He would have stepped backwards, just because she was daunting, but didn't, just because he was spellbound, that very moment. Many a man (mortal and immortal alike) she had entranced with her exquisite visage, but few she had a fondness for. Lucky Raimundo was both.

Wuya laughed, a high, tinkling sound, lovelier than the chiming of a thousand silver bells. Flicking her silky, flaming hair over her willowy shoulders (an old trick of beauty), she placed firm hand on the upper part of his arm, letting it snake to his neck and cupping his tanned cheek into her palm. Her enhanced senses picked up on the tiny hairs all over his body raising as her skin ghosted over his. Truth be told, the contact had also sent delightful shivers down her spine.

His widened forest-green orbs bore into hers; wary, but oblivious to what he should be cautious about. How attractive, how _cute_ his features were; the way that russet lock of hair fell about his forehead just so, the confused expression in his eyes, and the slight parting of his mouth was just too inviting.

Without hesitation, she went in for the kill. Leaning close, she pressed her lips to his, relishing the gasp he emitted as she did so. The kiss was slow, and deliberate, as her other hand went to the small of his back and traced intricate patterns with her painted talons. A small moan escaped from his throat, and he threw his head back in elation. Maybe because of the kiss, or her nails outlining him under the thin material of his white hoodie. Or maybe it was her scent (it was sweet and fragile like fragrant flowers, bitter and overwhelming like acid rain, but nonetheless, it was alluring, intoxicating him for all he was), or her touch (soft and rigid at the same time; so mercilessly cold it burns so that she could have left scorch marks on his flesh if she wanted to). He could have been in heaven if his imagination allowed him to escape, although hell would have been appropriate too. Wuya smiled, swiping her eel-like tongue on his bottom lip; what an enchanting young man! Her tastes for accomplices were certainly improving.

When she drew back, his intense jade eyes were half-lidded and his face was sated yet yearning at the same time, ensnared by the witch goddess.

"Does that suffice, dearest Raimundo?" She said coyly, like a child toying with an unfamiliar new doll.

He nodded furiously, still mesmerized.

"I thought so." Her tone bordered on mirth and irony, but her face was straight and deadpanned, her kohl-lined eyes emancipating the illusion. He remained motionless, still in the same position he was in when she broke off.

"Now, my pet, run along and play with your precious video games. Maybe when I am not too busy I shall come and visit you again." She opened the doors with a wave of her hand. When the exits closed, Raimundo stumbled off-balance, falling flat on his butt, left by his master to wonder what just happened.

However, both already knew the implications of this action. She had, after all, gone into his mind once, sorting through his memories so finely, no matter how brief her stay there was. Wuya could be the definition of evil incarnate, and she wasn't (currently) the most powerful being on earth for nothing. The devil steals, kills, and destroys.

Today was only the completion of the initial deed.

That had been his first kiss.

_I don't want these distractions_

_No compromise for fractions_

_Diminish these subtractions_

_False lights are just refractions…_

**fin**

**a/n:** There you have it. The warped and distorted view of this pairing is just so… fascinating. I might make more of this, along with a couple of other tragic Rai/Kim's. (Btw, if you have time, please check out my other XS fic called Threads of Reason and Reyana Draconis' fabulous Poison Lily. If you like angst, that is)

I saw the song in my archive (and I do mean archive) of lyrics and after having a quick read-through, was like 'Woah. That's perfect.' The first verse and the chorus goes like this:

Blushing skin is whispering/ Slight of tongue, can kill so softly/ Velvet lips sing lullabies/ So satin sleek but still so costly/ Knees weaken, crumble and fall/ Mere mortals she's had them all/ This gift of sight/ This glorious blight

Fireflies/ Close your eyes/ They flicker dim then die/ Not true stars just fading lies/ Fireflies/ Close your eyes/ Dancing so sweetly by/ Then disappearing with a sigh

Haha. Now I got that out of my system (I just felt like I should include the whole song so you can see the bigger, clearer picture). Please give this authoress some pleasure in her life of chasing after the plots that dissipate right when she needs them; then, when she catches them, has to work and toil in the fading light of the computer monitor to give you your daily allowance of fanfiction when she could be getting on with her life in the real world. In other words, please do

_**REVIEW!**_


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